Atalanta Joins Napoli at the Top After Defeating Udinese

Atalanta moved level with Serie A leaders Napoli after a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Udinese on Sunday, continuing their surprising title challenge. Mario Pasalic equalized for Atalanta just 11 minutes into the second half, and an own goal by Udinese’s Isaak Toure shortly after handed Atalanta their sixth consecutive league win. Atalanta now shares second place with Napoli, both on 25 points though Napoli has a better goal difference and a game in hand, meaning they remain ahead.

Inter Milan a point behind in third also plays later on Sunday ensuring that either the champions or Napoli will top the standings by the end of the day. However, Atalanta remains unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions, earning recognition as legitimate Scudetto contenders. Under manager Gian Piero Gasperini and supported by the Percassi family, Atalanta has transformed from provincial underdogs to one of Italy’s top clubs including winning the Europa League last season.

Gasperini has acknowledged his team’s Scudetto potential, and they proved their resilience by coming from behind to beat Udinese after Hassane Kamara’s thunderous first-half strike put the visitors in front. Udinese, who played an excellent first half, dropped to eighth in the standings with 16 points after their third straight defeat. Meanwhile, Fiorentina and Lazio can match Atalanta’s 25 points if they win their upcoming matches against Verona and Monza, respectively.

In other Serie A news, Roma’s crisis deepens ahead of their match against Bologna with reports suggesting that the club will sack coach Ivan Juric regardless of the result. Roberto Mancini is rumored to be the leading candidate for the managerial position.